I expect there are a lot of new eyes on my website due to the amount of people now buying poultry.​To introduce myself, I am Janine Zschech, the sole owner/occupant of Adelaide Chicken Sitting Service.

I am a Poultry Pet Sitter and Poultry Educator

I do NOT sell poultryI am NOT a breederBut I can help you source what you are looking for.

I do NOT buy or take UNWANTED poultryI do NOT RESCUE poultryPlease search my blog for rehoming advice. This may change from time to time. The basics remain the same.

I do NOT kennel any birds or poultryI come to your backyard to care for the pets on your property for their health, safety and comfort.I practice strong biosecurity to keep birds healthy (not to bring in disease or pests).I pet sit within a half hour drive of Sheidow Park (SA 5158). Costs double outside of my zone.

I am NOT a vetI do give sound advice for free via email, text, comments on posts and by phone.I will direct you to a vet when I can identify that your poultry need more help than a home remedy.I have a farming background, so my advice is based in sound working knowledge.

I do NOT sell any productsI can help you locate the right product that you need and the general cost and directions on how to use the product.

I do NOT have any incubators for loanI can help you source incubators (ahead of time!) as well as setting up a brooder for hatched chicks.

I will NOT help you source poultry for slaughter, cock fighting or ritualsI support backyard chicken keepers who want to keep chickens for their company and fresh eggs.I also support those who need to help find a location for dispatch from their own flock.

I do NOT do any advertising on my websiteI do give product reviews here on my blog which will contain positive and negative feedback, as well as how to use a product or service.

Australian Spring chores are necessary to keep the hens healthy and laying well. Just after the Winter Solstice the girls should start laying again. By Spring, they should all be popping out eggs and this can mean a whole lot more interesting times ahead.​Here's your 'how to' for Spring.

Here are my Top 6 spring chores

#1 Cut back on treats

You have probably been giving your poultry extra treats over winter to help them start to lay. By August, those treats should be cut right back. What you DO need to do, is make sure they have a well balanced diet, especially for the poultry you want to breed with.

​Too many treats can get in the way of them eating their official poultry feed that is full of essential vitamins and minerals.

It will be hard, but hold back those treats! That is the chore. No more bowls of porridge!​

#2 Mow the grass

Grass grows more rapidly in Spring, so its time to start mowing on a more regular basis.

The reason lawn mowing is important is that LONG grasses that are eaten by the poultry can cause Impacted Crop problems.It is easier and kinder to PREVENT Impacted Crop than to fix it.

The second reason is that by keeping grass length down, snakes have less places to hide.

#3 Coop clean, pest dust and worm poultry

As the days warm up, pest activity increases. Lice, mites and intestinal worms are the 3 most common problems.

Sweep, wash down, air out the coops. And then replace with FRESH materials.

Worming should be done every 3 months. I time this with the change of season. Worming and pest dusting can be done on the same day.

Pest dust the hens AND nesting boxes with PESTENE

Worm with a product that has the active ingredient of LEVAMISOLE

​

#4 Broodies

With warmer days comes the broody hens.

First sign is the large broody poos.Second clue is the noise a broody makes while sitting in her nesting box, hunkering down.

This is the season when hens want to become mothers. But if you are NOT planning on hatching, they need to be kept OUT of the nesting boxes during the day.

The reason are:

Broodies will lose body weight with their extra heat that they make (incubator heat). Loss of weight can result in a suppressed immune system and possible early death.

Constant sitting in the nesting box can result in contracting external pests such as lice and mites.

The answer is to 'Break' the broodiness by removing the hen from the nesting boxes for the day.Locate a cool shadey spot to fence off just for her, with food and water.Return her to the coop at night, but in the morning, return her to her special fenced off area.

ALTERNATIVELY, block off the nesting boxes with an old ice cream container or soccer ball. This will only work if all the hens are broody together OR the other hens have finished laying for the day.

If you want to hatch fertilised eggs, using that broody hen is the cheapest way to hatch.If you reject the eggs for hatching, have an incubator at the ready, as a back up plan.SPRING is HATCHING SEASON!​

#5 Hatching time

Not only do hens go broody as the days warm up, but fertilised eggs start to become available.

If you are breeding with your own flock with a rooster, then take precautions such as:

Adequate calcium to have strong egg shells (weak shelled eggs should not be used for hatching)

Have a broody mother hen coop separate from the main coop, if possible.

Order vaccinations ahead of hatching date.

Purchase chick feed ready for when chicks hatch.

Have an incubator ready as a back up in case mother hen abandons her eggs

Incubator hatching:

Ensure it is thoroughly clean and in working order - test temperature by running it for 24 hours.

Calibrate hygrometers for gauging accurate humidity

Have a brooder box ready for hatched chicks

Purchase chick feed

​Hatching season goes from Spring through to Summer.

#6 Fertilising the Garden

Fertilising fruit trees with a product other than chicken manure can cause chickens to become sick.Fence off the base of trees during the feeding (ideally in August).

Fence off ANY area you need to fertilise. This can be taken away once pellets are dissolved into the soil.

If your poultry free range on your back lawn, do NOT add any fertiliser. Then hens are doing a magnificent job of that already.

But what about the weeds in the lawn?Where ever your poultry roam, you will need to hand weed. Sorry.Save the Feed & Weed products for the front lawn, instead.

ALTERNATIVELY, fertilise the lawn in sections - fencing off an area at a time.

Citrus trees are very hungry feeders. Ensure that you use the poultry manure (fresh or dried) around the base of these trees. They can handle the 'hot' manure of poultry.

Remember to dry out poultry manure for 3 months before using on garden beds. Yes, you can dry it out on top of the soil and then dig it in after the 3 months have passed. Hot manure will kill the roots of many plants, drying out reduces that burn.

As a poultry pet sitter, I always fear one of my clients' birds becoming sick, injured or broody with no spare coop for isolation from the rest of the flock. In most cases, there is nothing I could even use to improvise with!

But even when I am not there as your pet sitter, having a quarantine coop will serve you well. No-one ever regrets having one ready.

Here is a great guide on simple-to-make quarantine/broody coop ideas that could work in your backyard.

Quarantine coops are used for:

Sick and injured birds

Broody isolation units

Hatching fertilised eggs

Introducing new chickens to the yard before integrating with the existing flock - preventing spread of diseases/pests

Keep the quarantine coop as far away as possible from the main poultry coop to prevent spread of disease.

Quarantine unwell birds at the first sign of sickness/injury to prevent spread or attack.

Have one or two plastic tarpaulins ready.These are used for covering the quarantine coop if the sick bird has a contagious respiratory condition or able to keep the drafty winds/rain out.

It must be fully cleanable and accessible.

Food and water containers must be able fit within the structure.

OBEY the length of time that quarantine needs to be. Do not be tempted to release the birds too early.

If you have free ranging chickens that might wander over to the quarantine coop, add extra fencing to keep them away. The further away, the better.

​BROODY COOP ISOLATION FACTORSAs broody hens are only going through a normal hormonal phase, the purpose of a broody coop is to "break" her out of being broody and help her resume normal free ranging and egg laying again.

The broody coop is NOT for overnight use - only day time isolation - to keep her away from the nesting box.

Broody isolation must NOT have any nesting boxes.

Supply clean food and water.

Keep the this isolation coop in a cool shaded position.Grassy areas are highly recommended to bring down a broody's core temperature which aims "breaking" the broodiness.

Creating a coop for a broody that needs to be broken really ONLY needs fencing.An elaborate structure is usually unnecessary.

HATCHING WITH A BROODY FACTORSUse the quarantine coop for hatching fertilised eggs. Be aware, that if sickness does occur with any other birds in the flock that another quarantine coop will need to sourced.

Make best use of old trampoline frames.This will keep nesting hen and chicks safe from predators and other poultry that are likely to attack them.

The nesting area must be warm and secure. Mother hen must have access to food and water near to her while sitting.

Hatching coops need more run area than a standard quarantine.Explore the appropriateness of your yard before proceeding. Do you have room?

Chicks integrate into the main flock around 16-18 weeks of age.BE AWARE: This means up to 18 weeks of a quarantine coop in use.

PESTS AND CLEANING FACTORS

Clean the quarantine coop THOROUGHLY before and after use.

Food and water sources must be kept clean - washed out after use.

After use, sweep, scrub down all surfaces, discard ALL nesting materials into a garbage bag for the bin.

Spray with Virkon disinfectant throughout (after diseased birds have left quarantine).

Spray with Malaban Wash or Maldisan 50 if mites and lice have been on the birds.

Wear different boots into the quarantine coop to prevent transferring diseased matter out to the main flock.

Use the quarantine coop for all the flock when thoroughly cleaning out the main chicken coop for its annual clean.

Lice and mites seek out lovely warm blooded bodies to make their new home. Nest sitting poultry become a favourite target, even more so for the broody mother hen sitting on her fertilised eggs for hatching.

The longer a birds sits, the chances of external pests increases significantly.

Mites on the surface of a laid egg. Image by Brad Mullens, UC Riverside.

​HOW TO IDENTIFY THE MITESIt may be difficult to identify mites on a hen as mites can be very illusive at the best of times. Her comb will be paler in colour due to her long broody hatching time, which is commonly associated with anemia. Some hens are more prone to abandoning their eggs in the nest to dust bathe more frequently to control the mites.

Depending on the type of mites, some are more visible such as crawling over the eggs.​

Is vaccinating your day old chicks for Marek's going to be worthwhile any more with the change of vaccine available in Australia as of 2017?

The Marek's vaccine for chicks has always been delivered in a freeze-dried format that is then mixed with a carrier for injection into day old chicks. It was fridge stable and was easy enough to transport by order.

Zoetis has now officially ceased to make the freeze-dried vaccine for Australia indefinitely.

Bioproperties makes an alternative Merek's vaccine for the Australia market.

The alternative vaccine costs less than the original freeze-dried variety, however, the cost is considerably more when chilling is calculated into the transportation and storage until use!

​This will NOT make it easy for the small backyard breeder with a dozen or two chicks when the cost of dry ice or liquid nitrogen deliveries are added to the cost.

The cells holding the virus in the vaccine need to be storage very carefully in one of two ways:

Dry Ice (for short term transportation - defrosting state)

Liquid Nitrogen (for long term storage until required for another hatch - frozen state)

The vaccine will still need to be correctly prepared with the diluent (carrier) - following the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

The benefit to this alternative vaccine is that it will be stable for several hours once mixed unlike the freeze-dried vaccine that could only last for up to an hour.

Once the vaccine has been thawed it cannot be refrozen as it will destroy the cells that hold the virus. So this brings in questions about breaking up the vaccine into smaller batches for later use.

​CHALLENGES

The vaccine order needs to be placed on dry ice and stored safely until ready for use.

The vaccine order must be transported on dry ice or in dry liquid nitrogen - requiring special care by the transportation company which may add to the cost. (Class 9 hazardous goods label)

Those who are use to using the freeze-dried vaccine may need to rethink how to access the vaccine and if its worthwhile continuing.

Have a supply of dry ice or liquid nitrogen storage for the vaccine. Where will this be located on your property?Liquid nitrogen needs to be topped up regularly - so the ongoing costs of storage increases.

NOTE: Never place dried ice into a deep freeze with the vaccine. Dry ice vapour is also detrimental to most refrigerators.

​Australian winters are very different to the northern hemisphere, so our preparations and activities can be a little different due to the lack of snow in most parts of the country. There is always buying, selling and ordering to do, but here are a list to help get you on track for the rest of the year!

​#1 thing you DON’T need: Heaters in the coopI’m saving you money already!

Here are my TOP 5 winter chores​

Straw - bales and chopped

​Chickens can regulate their own heat with the fluffing up and the contracting of their feathers. So we only need to focus on their feet, especially feathered leg varieties as they are more susceptible to the cold when their leg feathers are wet for a long period of time. Bantam poultry need the most care.

Give them a full bale of straw to jump up onto. Place in a semi-sheltered area, such as under a covered run, shed easement, inside a large walk-in coop, tree or trampoline.​A bale of straw provides:

relief from the muddy wet conditions

somewhere to dry out

height interest

wind break

something to peck at, especially when the bugs move into the bale

Chopped straw or sugar can mulch is great for reducing the muddy conditions, especially in high traffic areas into the coop. This may need topping up throughout the winter, but will be worthwhile.

Do you need to add extra straw to the roosting area in a small coop?No, in most circumstances it can be a waste of money and increase the risk of lice and mites. However, these pests are less active during the cold months. So it’s really up to you, but it’s not necessary. Save yourself a few dollars.​Some chickens loves to perch outside rather than in a cozy coop – they are so resilient.​

Clean out the nesting boxes

​Refresh the nesting box materials before the girls start to lay again just after the winter solstice.​Sweep out the spiders.

Put down Pestene or Diatomaceous Earth on the bottom of each box BEFORE adding fresh nesting box materials on top (wood shavings, hemp, chopped straw, etc.). These powders will help to keep lice and mites at bay.​

Buy/Sell/Giveaway Roosters

May, June, July & August are the big months for cockerel/rooster sales in Australia.

The availability of hens is much lower during this period due to last year’s breeding season now coming into maturity.

Not all roosters are ideal for breeding with, so know your breed standards well before buying/selling to avoid disappointment. Breed standards are available through Poultry Breed Clubs. (Check out the directories in Australasian Poultry Magazine)​Please consult your local council for restrictions on roosters in your area before buying.​Many councils in Australia do not permit roosters due to the noise.​

Pre-Order Fertilised Eggs

Wanting to hatch your own chicks this year?

July is usually the month breeders ask for pre-orders on their fertilised poultry eggs as it comes into the hatching season.

After the winter solstice hens begin to lay again if they stopped over autumn/winter. Egg laying tends to resume by mid-July, even though this is the very middle of winter.​Fertile eggs are posted out anywhere from August to December, on average.

This will also prompt you to do a few more things such as ordering heat tables/lamps and brooders, chick starter feed and vaccinations from your vet. (www.brookfieldpoultryequipment.com)

Set up a location for the broody mother to hatch or find a location for incubator hatching and brooding until 8 weeks of age.

A problem that can occur when hatching chicks at home is a yolk sack infection. This may also be known as Omphalitis or Mushy Egg Disease.

This is caused by various bacteria during incubation which has gotten into the egg yolk such as E. coli. Staphylococci, Proteus, Clostridia, Facali and Pseudomonas.

This will occur in chicks in their first week of life and is usually terminal. Their life expectancy is usually around 48 hours.

Prevention is the best method.

Place only clean dry eggs into the incubator.

Clean your hands thoroughly before turning eggs manually, or during candling. Use an alcohol based hand cleaning gel, allow for air drying time before touching eggs.

Alternatively, use disposable gloves when handling the eggs.

Clean the incubator equipment thoroughly after every hatch before storage. Dirty incubators harbour all sorts of bacteria. Do not submerge the motor. Please refer to the manufacturer's instructions for best advice.

For more pictures and information on this condition, please check out this amazing article on backyardchickens.com.

I just want to share this great tip on how to correct a duckling's bent neck after hatching, shared with me from Jennifer of Emerald North (USA). I'm sure that someone could really benefit from this information.

Normally, if a chick (chicken) hatches like this we would correct the Wry Neck with Vitamin E and Selenium in their water source. (WRY NECK is also known as star-gazing in chicks.)

​But in Jennifer's case she didn't use the Vitamin E solution as she felt it was a development problem from the hatch.​​INSTEAD this is Jennifer's solution:

Cut a piece of cellulose sponge and made a small diamond-shaped hole in the middle.

Soaked the sponge in a little water and wrung it out well.

Slipped the piece of sponge over the duckling's head and allowed the sponge to dry.

The sponge is then left on for the next 24 hours to help support the head and help correct the neck muscles.

This duckling was also give an electrolyte solution for the first two days immediately after hatching.

TIP:If you are able to, cut the sponge down a little more in height once wet, or it becomes too chunky on the duckling.

When hatching your own chicks, sometimes things can go wrong but some things can be fixed at home with things you find around your home.

This great tutorial on how to fix a chick's curled toes is such a simple and easy thing to do.​This tutorial comes from Avian Aqua Miser's website. Visit the original page here for full instructions.

Avian Aqua Miser recommends using 3M Transpore Tape for 2-3 days.

Curled toes can result from incorrect incubation, such as the wrong temperature or humidity or wrongly positioned inside the egg.

Curled toes can also be the result of a vitamin deficiency, Add some Solvita (RRP $15) water soluble powder to their drinking water to help correct issues in conjunction with taping the toes open.

​To prevent birth defects in chicks, make sure your incubator is running at the correct levels in each stage of the incubator period before hatching day. Use a thermometer and hygrometer to keep track and top up the humidity tray with warm water if needed.

Curled toes in older hens is usually due to a lack of Vitamin B1 or B2 in their earlier stages of development. In those cases, try the Solvita first to see if that will help correct the problem. After a year, many hens may have permanent toe curl issues which may not be able to fully corrected.

The first time a new chicken owner sees one of their hens go broody can send many owners on a frantic hunt to purchase some fertilised eggs to pop under her...even if they never intended to ever go down the path of hatching chicks.

Yes, I'm talking to you, dear chooky owners.

I want to assure you that just because a hen goes broody it does not mean that you HAVE TO give her eggs to hatch.

Chickens that go regularly broody such as Sussex, Wyandottes and Silkies can drive many of us crazy, wondering when they will ever just get on with regular egg laying.

But letting them hatch some chicks will not break their persistent broody habit.

Those chickies will soon be turned out by mama hen by around 9 weeks of age so that mama hen can get some body weight back on...before she goes off on another one of her broody episodes. Well, it may or may not happen so quickly after a hatch, but when you have a very persistent broody, it comes around quick enough.

What sets off a Broody Hen?First of all, its down to breed and individual personality. Some breeds are highly likely to go regularly broody, whereas other breeds have a long stretch between broody episodes. Other breeds may not show any signs of ever being the broody type.

The outside influences on a hen that can make her become broody include:

Hot weather

Seeing another hen broody

Rooster encouragement

Leaving eggs in the nesting boxes for too long

Body TemperatureWhen a hen becomes broody, her body temperature rises significantly. She becomes the incubator. So when you pick her up her heat can really be felt radiating from underneath her.

To help 'break' a broody we need to bring down her body temperature over a few days. Keeping her out of a nesting box is essential, so popping her into a fenced off area that is shaded with a cool grassy area is by far the nicest way to help cool her down.

Hens that are not removed from the nesting box will maintain their heat which is a high energy job. This is why we see a broody hen with a trance-like look in their eyes. All their energy is concentrated to keep their heat going. They will come out from time to time for a drink and something to eat, but they return to their nest fast to keep their heat up.

With all this expended energy, the hen will lose a significant amount of body condition. So allowing her to keep sitting without being 'broken' or hatching chicks can result in a very under condition chicken that will be prone to more pests, infections and diseases.

Some owners can be a little too kind to their broody hen and allowed them to stay for a month or more in their nests. Please do not let them sit for that long.

NutritionBroodiness takes a lot of energy out of a hen so replacing it with the right nutrition is very important, especially so for the long term broodies that were allowed to sit for too long.

​Protein helps build muscle again.

Essential vitamins and minerals need replacing through products like Livamol powder in their feed or a water soluble type.

Iron can be increased through molasses, either in dried form in their feed or as a little liquid black strap molasses stirred through a bowl of porridge twice a week.

Plain Greek Yoghurt is great for their gut. Getting the good bacteria in there will help them fight of illnesses better as well as good source of protein.

Signs that a hen will go broodyThere is one very good indicator that one of your hens is about to become broody: the broody POO!These droppings are much bigger than a normal one, and they usually occur a few days before you find a girl hunched down in her nest with a mean look in her eye, growling.

If there is another hen who is already acting broody, you may find that the hen that visits her the most is most likely to be the next girl who will go broody.

Yes, broodiness can be 'catchy'.

​Laying EggsIn the early stages of broodiness, some hens do still lay eggs. But if they go on for too long, she will stop laying for a time.

​Her egg laying can be suspended anywhere from one to three weeks. Remember that it takes 21 days to hatch chicks.

If a hen goes for a hatch with fertile eggs she will take longer to get back into an egg laying routine as she will be a busy mum with chicks gathered under her.

BUT I WANT REALLY WANT TO HATCH CHICKS!

​OK, dear chooky owner! I hear you.Chicks are so gorgeous and you have now talked yourself into letting one of your hens go for a hatching.

First - the reality checkJust remember that there is a 50/50 chance of boys and girls in every hatch. Some hatches can produce more of one than the other. Are you prepared for this? Do you have a plan for the boys and room for more girls?

Breeds are importantMake sure that you choose a breed that you would like to have. Lot of research first.The breed does not need to be the same as your current hens.​Not every breed will suit you, your hens or your yard.Combining small bantams with large dual purpose hens is often a bad combination. Flighty breeds need higher fencing.

Eggs or ChicksYes, you can pop some fertile eggs or newly hatched chicks under a broody hen.There is a chance of rejection especially of the chicks, so play it by ear and be ready with a back up plan.Hens can attack and kill the hatching chicks. (From personal experienced, happened twice in one year)

Rejection Back-up PlanIf the broody hen rejects the eggs, have an incubator ready.If the broody hen rejects the chicks, have a brooder box ready with a heat source, wood shavings, chick crumble food and water.Not all hens make great mothers, so be prepared.The chicks NEED A HEAT SOURCE up until 8-9 weeks of age.

Chick Food SourceChicks will require Chick Crumble from Day 1 as well as fresh clean water every day.

Transition to Pullet ShedIf hatching didn't go well with mother hen and you resorted to using a brooder box, then the chicks will need to be transitioned out to the yard to their own coop - the Pullet House - at 8-9 weeks of age. They will be able to cope with the pecking order around 16-18 weeks of age, so can join the other hens then.

Best of luck!​Please let us know if you tried to 'break' your broody successfully or if you tried for a hatch.

When planning on hatching your own poultry from fertile eggs the budget can be a little restricted in what type of incubator you can afford. The top of the line models usually have a temperature and humidity digital read-out.

But the more affordable smaller incubators only come with a temperature control. That means that you will need to purchase a hygrometer to be able to know your incubator's humidity. It is crucial to know the humidity for a successful hatching throughout every day of incubation, especially from days 18 to 21.

Hygrometers are available at most fodder stores. They are usually located in the reptile section. They are also available on eBay.

There are two types of hygrometers: analogue and digital.

So before any new hatching it is essential to test your hygrometer's accuracy. This is called calibration.
And it is very simple.

What you will need:

Hygrometer

Salt

Water

Small container or lid from a juice bottle

Zip Lock Bag

If using a small container: 1/2 cup of salt with a dribble of water to make a slurry.
If using a lid from a juice bottle: 1 tablespoon of salt with a dribble of water to make a slurry.

Place both the container of salt slurry and hygrometer into the zip lock bag and seal.
Do not let the hygrometer touch the liquid.

Leave at room temperature for around 12 to 24 hours.
The final reading should be 75%.

If it does not read correctly, then it needs to be adjusted manually.
Digital hygrometers are adjusted by the single button on the unit (refer to your unit's instructions).
Analogue hygrometers are adjusted at the back and manually turned (refer to your unit's instructions).

If you are unable to adjust it, remember the reading from this calibration test and subtract or add accordingly that it was out by from 75%. So if the final reading was 70%, then always add 5% onto the reading during an incubation.

Author

You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl. As an ex-Barossa gal now living in suburban Adelaide, South Australia, Janine Zschech is not only a serious chicken lady but a genuine advocate for self-sufficiency and education of children to the knowledge of gardening and animal rearing. Skills for life!